


facsimile of sleep

by lynne_monstr



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Curses, Happy Ending, M/M, Presumed Dead, Rescue, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 12:31:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21299501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynne_monstr/pseuds/lynne_monstr
Summary: Magnus screams but no one can hear. His voice is as frozen as his body, as paralyzed as his magic. He can do nothing but listen to the sobs and speeches of those around him.If he gets out of this, he’s going to kill the warlock who did this to him.(Or, Magnus is cursed to appear dead. He needs Alec's help to break the spell, if only Alec could hear him.)
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 23
Kudos: 304
Collections: Favorite Malec Stories, Shadowhunters: The Ficlet Instruments





	facsimile of sleep

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [sh_ficletinstruments](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/sh_ficletinstruments) collection. 

> **Prompt:**
> 
> It's not every day that you gatecrash your own funeral, but it is today.

Magnus screams but no one can hear. His voice is as frozen as his body, as paralyzed as his magic. He can do nothing but listen to the sobs and speeches of those around him.

If he gets out of this, he’s going to kill the warlock who did this to him. It’s hardly the first time he’s been betrayed by someone he trusted, but it’s the first time in a while he was distracted enough for the attack to succeed. His head was in the clouds, preoccupied with planning his upcoming anniversary.

He’d woken up in a coffin.

Alec’s voice reaches into his chest and squeezes his heart. His voice is wrecked, like he’s been crying. “Please don’t leave me like this. All those times you told me you’re immortal. You were never supposed to go first, Magnus.”

A drop of wetness falls on Magnus’ cheek. His magic rattles the cage of its bindings, surging towards that tiny piece of Alec. He throws every drop of his will at the crack Alec’s grief inadvertently made in his prison. It isn’t enough. He needs more.

_Kiss me, Alec._

Alec stays unmoving. Instead, Magnus' world tilts at another familiar voice come to say goodbye. “You utter bastard.” Catarina sounds broken in a way Magnus has never wanted to hear. It nearly undoes him, but there’s nothing he can do except listen. “You and Ragnor better have a drink for me.”

The click of sensible shoes fades and she’s gone, no doubt to mourn in private as is her wont.

“Alec, it’s time.” Isabelle’s voice is hoarse, like she too has been crying. “You have to let him go.”

Alec’s cracked whisper of, “I can’t,” hurts more than the agony rune Magnus still feels like a phantom pain in his wrist on bad days.

What a strange novelty his life has become that a pair of Shadowhunters would sob over a warlock. Magnus would normally relish the irony, but he’s too busy pushing down the panic clawing at his chest. They’re going to put him in the ground. He’s going to be trapped for all eternity while he fades from the memory of those he loves. Once more, he thrashes against the spell keeping him in this facsimile of sleep, but the magic was perfectly cast. His considerable power remains trapped beneath his skin.

He feels himself being lowered into the ground. This can’t be the end. Not like this.

_Kiss me, Alec. Please. Break the spell._

“Wait.”

His heavy footfalls march towards him. They’re a far cry from Alec’s first wedding, but Magnus can’t help but think of when Alec strode the wrong way down the aisle. Their kiss now is nothing more than a soft, chaste press of lips but it’s enough. The magic trapping Magnus breaks. Gasps fill the air as he sits up in his own coffin.

He blinks, Alec’s face swimming into view. “You heard me.”

Alec nods, his face streaked with tears, and kisses him again.


End file.
